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Forest Rights: If there are plans to declare areas as ‘protected’, there must first be consultations with the local population.
Key Takeaway
- Ten of the 39 regions in the Western Ghats identified by UNESCO in 2012 as essential for biodiversity are located in Karnataka.
- UNESCO consults locals before designating places as world historical sites to determine how the designation would affect their way of life and means of subsistence.
- This author met with many stakeholders in the Karnataka grama panchayats close to the world heritage sites.
- The main participants have Scheduled Tribes (STs).
- Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes, minorities, and the general category all comprise other traditional forest dwellers.
- The vast majority of respondents claimed that they needed to be made aware of the procedure that resulted in the designation of UNESCO historic sites.
Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006
- About
- The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (commonly known as the Forest Rights Act) recognises the right to “guard, regenerate or conserve or manage” the communal forest resource.
- Significance of Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006
- Firstly, community rights and rights to common property resources (CPR) have been acknowledged for the first time.
- This act has highlighted the individual rights of the marginalised and tribal populations and other rights.
- In addition, the act mentions converting all forest villages, old habitation villages, unsurveyed villages, and other villages into these, giving rise to revenue villages.
- It strengthens the forest’s conservation regime and guarantees the livelihood and food security of other forest dwellers, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Forest Dwellers.
- In a way, this law safeguards intellectual property rights and traditional ecological and cultural knowledge.
- Moreover, it broadens the scope of the Constitution’s 5th and 6th Schedules, safeguarding indigenous populations’ claims to the lands and forests they call home.
- The 2006 Forest Rights Act safeguards the rights of displaced communities.
- Furthermore, FRA 2006 also acknowledges and protects the rights of marginalised and tribal groups over developmental operations.
Significance of Preserving Cultural Heritage
- Economic Importance
- Central pillars of contemporary economies are the cultural industries.
- Additionally, cultural attractions, amenities, and artistic expression increase tourism support local economies and draw in the capital.
- Historical-Social Importance
- The preservation of history, knowledge creation and creativity promotion are some of the culture’s non-economic benefits.
Heritage Conservation – Problems Faced by India
- Firstly, scarce and skilled labour to undertake conservation efforts.
- Heritage site pre-disaster management is not given enough significance.
- Engineers’ expertise from multiple disciplinary viewpoints is needed for conservation.
- In addition, due to a lack of qualified resources, the private sector only does cosmetic maintenance; significant concerns go unresolved.
- Furthemore, absence of contemporary and ancient engineering techniques.
How Can India’s Cultural Heritage Be Preserved?
- Foundational Level Changes
- A comprehensive approach to preserving Indian heritage would call for educational adjustments in schools and universities that aim to re-discover the ancient wisdom of the Indian people in the arts, sciences, and philosophies.
- Heritage Tourism and Education
- Moreover, India can protect its cultural and historic resources while fostering local economies by creating jobs, new enterprises, and tax money for the government by promoting heritage tourism.
- Implementation of Operation Guidelines
- The authorities responsible for protecting cultural and natural treasures must adhere strictly to the Operational Guidelines for implementing the World Heritage Convention.
Pic Courtesy: Down to Earth
Content Source: The Hindu